Manchester 'Recommending' Masks In Municipal Buildings

MANCHESTER, CT — The town of Manchester is "strongly recommending" that residents, visitors, and businesses follow CDC guidance on indoor masks.

The Town will require masks in Town buildings, but will not impose a town-wide mask mandate at this time. Acting General Manager Steve Stephanou and Mayor Jay Moran, in response to Governor Lamont’s Executive Order Executive Order No. 13A, which gives municipalities the ability to legally require indoor mask wearing in their cities and town’s public places), announced that while the town of Manchester strongly recommends that all residents, visitors, and businesses follow CDC guidance to wear masks indoors, the town will not be implementing a legal mandate requiring masks in private establishments at this time.

All visitors entering municipal buildings including Town Hall and Libraries are required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. The declaration os for municipal buildings. Students in the Manchester public school system will be wearing masks — as least through the end of September in according with the governor's orders.

"As a result of the uptick in COVID-19 cases and rise in the Delta variant, anyone entering a town building will be required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status," Stephanou said. "However, without a more regional and state- wide policy regarding masking mandates, we do not believe legally requiring the mask mandate in private establishments is appropriate at this point in time.”

Moran added, "Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, I have been so proud of how the Manchester community has responded by doing what’s right,. Given the increasing positivity rate in Connecticut, we are strongly encouraging the community to wear a mask indoors, regardless of vacation status. While the Town won't legally require it, we are asking the Manchester community to step up and do their part to help stop the spread and defeat this virus."

Town officials also emphasized the importance of vaccinations in ending the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The vaccines developed over the past year are safe and effective. They are the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the development of serious symptoms," Health Director Jeffrey Catlett said. "In order for Manchester to put this pandemic in the rear-view mirror, we need everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated. At this point, we do not believe a legal mask mandate would be effective unless implemented state-wide, however, we will continue to monitor public health data and prepare to adjust local guidance as necessary to protect the health and safety of the Manchester community."